Texas could join Louisiana with a law to require the Ten Commandments in classrooms

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: NPR

January 20, 2025 2:00 PM ET


Key Texas legislators say they intend to pass a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The move would add some big-state momentum to a trend started by Louisiana last year with a law that is blocked in court but has other states looking at similar proposals.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a Republican, signaled the move last year after Louisiana's law passed. He said Texas should have been the first in the nation to adopt it and he swore the state would in 2025. He named it as one of the leading conservative priorities. The state's legislative session began this month and is scheduled to end in June.

A federal judge in Louisiana called that state's version of the law "overtly religious" and unconstitutional when blocking it in November. The case is being appealed and Republican attorneys general from 18 states have joined to support it.

Supporters say history is at stake

As in other states, Texas proponents argue that the commandments are a historical document. "To be honest, if you don't know the Ten Commandments, you don't really know the basis for much of American history and law. It played such a role in our founding and among our founders," said state Sen. Phil King, a Republican from outside of Fort Worth who will help to lead the Texas effort. "In fact, few documents have had a bigger impact on not just the United States but on Western civilization in general than the Ten Commandments."

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2025/01/20/nx-s1-5230486/texas-ten-commandments-schools-legislature

[brush]

1. What happened to religious freedom of the !st Amendment? Everyone isn't a Christian.

These magats are out of control.

[DBoon]

2. Our legal system owes more to the pagan Anglo-Saxons than to the Hebrew Bible

Anglo-Saxon law (Old English: ǣ, later lagu 'law'; dōm 'decree', 'judgment') was the legal system of Anglo-Saxon England from the 6th century until the Norman Conquest of 1066. It was a form of Germanic law based on unwritten custom known as folk-right and on written laws enacted by kings with the advice of their witan or council. By the later Anglo-Saxon period, a system of courts had developed to administer the law, while enforcement was the responsibility of ealdormen and royal officials such as sheriffs, in addition to self-policing (friborh) by local communities.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Saxon_law

Instead of the 10 commandments, Texas should post copies of Beowulf, in the original Anglo-Saxon of course.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

3. Why not hang a copy of Charlton Heston's walk of fame star along with them?

That's how worthless the so-called commandments are.

[surfered]

4. The Ten Commandments is Trump's "to do" list.

[nature-lover]

5. I want religion taught in schools - as long as it's my religion.

[C Moon]

6. If they force children to follow that, then there should be far less republicans when they turn 18.

[Miguelito Loveless]

7. The Republic of Gilead

comes.

[twodogsbarking]

8. One step closer to living in caves again.

[Bluetus]

9. The peculiar thing is the 10Cs came from Moses

yet you never hear any Jews demanding the 10Cs be posted. Jesus had his own set of commandments, aka the Beatitudes, that talked about caring for those who struggle, showing grace in order to receive grace, being kind and generous and so on. You never see any of these "Christian" fundies demanding that Jesus' actual commandments be posted anywhere.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. Many ancient history scholars believe it originated from the Egyptian "Negative Confessions"

found in the Egyptian "Book of the Dead".

1. Hail, Usekh-nemmt, who comest forth from Anu, I have not committed sin.

2. Hail, Hept-khet, who comest forth from Kher-aha, I have not committed robbery with violence.

3. Hail, Fenti, who comest forth from Khemenu, I have not stolen.

4. Hail, Am-khaibit, who comest forth from Qernet, I have not slain men and women.

5. Hail, Neha-her, who comest forth from Rasta, I have not stolen grain.

6. Hail, Ruruti, who comest forth from Heaven, I have not purloined offerings.

7. Hail, Arfi-em-khet, who comest forth from Suat, I have not stolen the property of God.

8. Hail, Neba, who comest and goest, I have not uttered lies.

9. Hail, Set-qesu, who comest forth from Hensu, I have not carried away food.

10. Hail, Utu-nesert, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have not uttered curses.

11. Hail, Qerrti, who comest forth from Amentet, I have not committed adultery.

12. Hail, Hraf-haf, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have made none to weep.

13. Hail, Basti, who comest forth from Bast, I have not eaten the heart.

14. Hail, Ta-retiu, who comest forth from the night, I have not attacked any man.

15. Hail, Unem-snef, who comest forth from the execution chamber, I am not a man of deceit.

16. Hail, Unem-besek, who comest forth from Mabit, I have not stolen cultivated land.

17. Hail, Neb-Maat, who comest forth from Maati, I have not been an eavesdropper.

18. Hail, Tenemiu, who comest forth from Bast, I have not slandered anyone.

19. Hail, Sertiu, who comest forth from Anu, I have not been angry without just cause.

20. Hail, Tutu, who comest forth from Ati, I have not debauched the wife of any man.

21. Hail, Uamenti, who comest forth from the Khebt chamber, I have not debauched the wives of other men.

22. Hail, Maa-antuf, who comest forth from Per-Menu, I have not polluted myself.

23. Hail, Her-uru, who comest forth from Nehatu, I have terrorized none.

24. Hail, Khemiu, who comest forth from Kaui, I have not transgressed the law.

25. Hail, Shet-kheru, who comest forth from Urit, I have not been angry.

26. Hail, Nekhenu, who comest forth from Heqat, I have not shut my ears to the words of truth.

27. Hail, Kenemti, who comest forth from Kenmet, I have not blasphemed.

28. Hail, An-hetep-f, who comest forth from Sau, I am not a man of violence.

29. Hail, Sera-kheru, who comest forth from Unaset, I have not been a stirrer up of strife.

30. Hail, Neb-heru, who comest forth from Netchfet, I have not acted with undue haste.

31. Hail, Sekhriu, who comest forth from Uten, I have not pried into other's matters.

32. Hail, Neb-abui, who comest forth from Sauti, I have not multiplied my words in speaking.

33. Hail, Nefer-Tem, who comest forth from Het-ka-Ptah, I have wronged none, I have done no evil.

34. Hail, Tem-Sepu, who comest forth from Tetu, I have not worked witchcraft against the king.

35. Hail, Ari-em-ab-f, who comest forth from Tebu, I have never stopped the flow of water of a neighbor.

36. Hail, Ahi, who comest forth from Nu, I have never raised my voice.

37. Hail, Uatch-rekhit, who comest forth from Sau, I have not cursed God.

38. Hail, Neheb-ka, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not acted with arrogance.

39. Hail, Neheb-nefert, who comest forth from thy cavern, I have not stolen the bread of the gods.

40. Hail, Tcheser-tep, who comest forth from the shrine, I have not carried away the khenfu cakes from the spirits of the dead.

41. Hail, An-af, who comest forth from Maati, I have not snatched away the bread of the child, nor treated with contempt the god of my city.

42. Hail, Hetch-abhu, who comest forth from Ta-she, I have not slain the cattle belonging to the god.

[Bluetus]

14. Some of these values are commun to hundreds or thousands

of religions. They are rules for staying in line and not causing trouble for the government.

Jesus' commandments, the beatitudes, were mostly of the nature of how to be a better person, although a few of them specificity required Jesus to regarded as a messiah. Nonetheless, I don't understand why "Christians" don't want to own the things Jesus said about patience, kindness, and grace, and instead are obsessed with the "Thou shalt nots" from Moses 1000 years earlier.

[JoseBalow]

15. The irony is that the old testament that christians claim to believe in

debunks the notion that Jesus could be the messiah - he doesn't meet the specific requirements

[Bluetus]

17. Beyond that, Mark 15:3 (of the New Testament)

suggests that at least part of the establishment wasn't all that pleased with Rabbi Jesus in his day. As I understand it, this idea of the "kingdom of heaven" is not at all part of the mainstream Jewish tradition. There is practically no discussion of heaven or hell in the Jewish texts, although I guess there are various beliefs about this, some which are quite elaborate, involving multiple levels and "time out" periods for cleansing. But Rabbi Jesus was out there saying this isn't just a state of mind; it is a literal place and you only get there if you elevate me above all those other rabbis and priests because I'm actually God, or the son of God, kind of both actually.

All I'm saying is that I doubt this went down well with the Jewish establishment. They were already at odds with the Romans, who were still polytheistic at the time, and this Jesus character just made matters worse by drawing so much attention from Rome.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. He was considered a heretic

but also sought to "change the narrative" of a "vengeful God" to a "merciful God".

However I think my point was that this was just a part of a long line of attempts by humanity to introduce some kind of "moral code" into their societies and it predates the Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Yes they are "moral codes"

some pre-dating Judaism and Christianity (from the "historic" sense).

But I expect most belief systems always talk about "the hypocrites" and that is who you are talking about - the ones who wave around their codes and break them when convenient (but do everything in their power to enforce them for others).

[Old Crank]

23. Jewish people know they don't have the numbers to do that.

But they have gotten Christians to carry their water for them.

I liked some of the quotes by the people who follow none of the commandments sayign how great this will make their state.
Starting with the DA who is a lying adulteror and felon.

[patphil]

10. It has one benefit. The kids will be able to see how many commandments the adults regularly break.

Of course these commandments are not all that clear; their open to interpretation...a lot of interpretation.
For instance, is it OK to bear false witness against someone who isn't your neighbor?
And how about lying; that doesn't seem to be covered except the bear false witness part.
Or, can you covet your neighbor's husband?
Adultery is bad, but sex outside of marriage isn't covered, so is it OK?
Thou shall not kill, but is it OK to wound?
Thou shall not steal, but is "long term" borrowing OK?
And how do you know you're taking God's name in vain? Maybe you aren't.
And is it not holy to drink beer and shout obscenities at the referee while watching Sunday football?

Think about it, most people break 2 or 3 commandments each day; some even more.
I think it's because there are too many loopholes in the lists; too many generalizations.
What's a person to do?
I think it's unrealistic to put all this stuff on our children, when it means so little to the adults.
My feeling is that the list as compiled by Moses is pretty worthless as anything other than a guideline.

[sakabatou]

12. Put up more statues of Baphomet in protest

[keithbvadu2]

13. Ten Commandments are just empty words to republicans.

Trump and MTG

Jesus was quite vocal about divorce/remarriage and the possible resultant sin of adultery.

[lonely bird]

18. History is at stake?

Bullshit.

Republicans don’t give a shit about actual history.

[Figarosmom]

19. I just dont get what

They think they are accomplishing with this.

It won't stop school shootings, it won't make believers out of non believers. It does nothing.

Is this just one of those things they do to "stick it to the libs"?

So what happens if we don't react?

[Walleye]

26. I agree, all they want is "liberal tears". Let's not give it to them

[Beacool]

20. May they be sued by every non-Christian group.

If the Ten Commandments are allowed in public schools, so should texts from various religions.

[struggle4progress]

21. ... Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves; for a man who hears without doing

is one who beholds his own face in a mirror and goes away, instantly forgetting who he saw ...

James 1

[Old Crank]

22. Establishing religious dominance

not religious freedoms. Per one of the people quoted.
Couldn't agree more.

[travelingthrulife]

25. I was in a religious school grades 1-2. The 10 commandments were posted.

Nobody paid the slightest attention to them. So they will spend how much to put up a poster that will become invisible the next day.

[Walleye]

27. Maybe it'll give the school shooters a good target to shoot at with their A.R. 15s

[BoRaGard]

28. "Fuck your free will, Americans." - G.O.P. Idolators, Inc.

"Bow down before our messiah." - G.O.P. Idolotors, Inc.

[BigMin28]

29. Yet they worship

A creature that breaks everyone of them before noon everyday.